At the same time, this dialogue marked the kick-off for the regional sector West (Economic area North Rhine-Westphalia and North Hesse) of Zukunftsallianz Maschinenbau.

The 4^th Innovation Dialogue tried to shed light on "Success Strategies and Strategic Tools for Dynamic Change" by promoting the exchange of applied research knowledge and practical experience in the areas of strategic corporate management in small- and medium-sized enterprises.
About 70 participants from business and science discussed success strategies for digital change at Wuppertal based tec.nicum. CEO Michael Mandel presented the guest company and the 70-year success story. Chief Sales Officer Oscar Arias outlined in his speech the path from a system to a solution provider. The other lectures also takled the issue of shaping the future. As such, Jan Mispagel from the Kienbaum consultancy in Zurich explained why prognoses are not a suitable tool for strategy development, and Dr. Alexander Fink, Member of the Board at the ScMI AG, presented scenario management and, in particular, new approaches to the development of visionary business models. The planning and implementation of innovation projects was outlined and discussed from various experts of the Fraunhofer Institute.

The core take away from an inspiring innovation dialogue is that: potential disruptive technologies, such as the expansion of IoT technologies to production or additive manufacturing, and a faster transformation of the cooperation networks as well as the international sales and procurement markets require high agility and adaptability of companies and their employees. Indicators for possible changes should be monitored continuously and incorporated into strategic decision-making processes at an early stage.